How do dramatic questions create tension?

In this episode, Stu and Chas delve into the cultural phenomenon of ADOLESCENCE. We try to find the craft tools that have made the show so compelling and such a catalyst for conversation.

In particular, we breakdown how the show’s emphasis on questions creates tension: not just tension through plot, but tension through character, and ultimately tension through theme.

We analsyse the show episode-by-episode, and discuss how the overall structure skilfully shifts from a plot-heavy police procedural towards a thematic-heavy melodrama and the impact that has on our experience.

We discuss how the decision to shoot the show in a series of “oners” affects the writing and what tools we can take from that to apply to our own writing (even if we’re not writing it to be a one-shot): POV characters, handovers, French scenes, emotional events, and more.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 - Cold Open
• 00:00:10 - Why Adolescence?
• 00:09:32 - Episode One
• 00:32:03 - Episode Two
• 00:46:59 - Episode Three
• 00:57:47 - Episode Four
• 01:19:19 - Melodrama
• 01:23:32 - Scene-level tools
• 01:52:57 - Key Learnings & Wrap Up
• 01:58:33 - Thanks to our Patreons

RELATED EPISODES

• DZ-67: Writing “Passive” Protagonists & Melodrama
• DZ-108: The Emotional Event with Judith Weston
• DZ-101: Oners - Creating Immediacy & Anchoring Action on the Page
• DZ-70: Joker & Melodrama

LINKS

• Watch: Crafting Adolescence's Tense One-Take Episodes with Stephen Graham | BAFTA
• Watch: The Making Of Adolescence - The One-Shot Explained | Netflix

More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

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How can we teach our audience new storytelling rules in the middle of our story?

Following on from our episodes on establishing tone through action lines and through character, this is what we have been building up to: how to pull off a tonal switch… that does not throw the audience out of the film. And, in particular, how to pull that off on the page when writers don’t have framing, lighting, music, editing, etc. at our disposal?

With that goal in mind, Mel and Chas dissect specific moments on the pages of SHAUN OF THE DEAD, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU and SWISS ARMY MAN. While there are definite craft tools identified - rhythm of action lines, varying use of unfilmmables and metaphors, establishing language patterns - the two big takeaways are: (1) pulling off a tonal shift takes a lot of setup; and (2) when the time comes, contrast on the page is key.

Thanks to Chris Walker for editing this episode.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 – Cold Open
• 00:00:25 - What do we mean by tonal shift?
• 00:08:35 - Distinguishing between genre shift and tonal shift
• 00:13:08 - Shaun of the Dead
• 00:45:41 - Sorry to Bother You
• 01:28:07 - Swiss Army Man
• 02:02:10 – Key learnings and wrap up
• 02:06:35 – Patreon thanks

RELATED EPISODES:

• DZ-105: Establishing tone through big print
• DZ-107: Establishing tone through character

LINKS:

• Every frame a painting – Edgar Wright – How to do visual comedy
• SHAUN OF THE DEAD - Edgar Wright & Simon Pegg
• SORRY TO BOTHER YOU - Boots Riley
• SWISS ARMY MAN - Daniels

More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

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How do you make extended technical scenes funny on the page?

Mel joins Chas to tackle physical comedy. We limited our homework selection to extended scenes (as opposed to moments and sight gags) in live action projects and - with the help of our Patreons - selected early sequences from BRINGING UP BABY, the pilot for HAPPY ENDINGS and that wonderful food poisoning scene in BRIDESMAIDS.

We discover how these incredible writers take their time (on the page) to set up geography, framing and running gags. We also get tips on judicious use ALL CAPS, ellipses and M-dashes to recreate visual gags… and when to just let a paragraph go long and draw attention to itself.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 – Cold Open
• 00:00:19 – What physical comedy scenes are we looking at?
• 00:10:27 - BRINGING UP BABY
• 00:31:44 - Thank you Arc Studio Pro!
• 00:34:34 - HAPPY ENDINGS pilot
• 00:58:15 - BRIDESMAIDS
• 01:27:31 - Key learnings and wrap up
• 01:33:56 - Patreon thanks

RELATED EPISODES:

• DZ-16: Masters of Time and Whitespace
• Shot Zero - Why is Ryan Gosling so funny?
• Shot Zero - How is oner from GAME NIGHT so seamless?

LINKS:

• Every frame a painting - Edgar Wright - How to do visual comedy
• GAME NIGHT by Mark Perez
• BRINGING UP BABY by Hagar Wilde and Dudley Nichols
• HAPPY ENDINGS Pilot by David Caspe
• BRIDESMAIDS by Annie Mumulo and Kristen Wiig

This episode brought to you by (drum roll) ArcStudio: go to https://www.arcstudiopro.com/draftzero for $30 off a pro subscription!

And how can we forget our awesome Patreons? Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

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What magic do Christmas movies use to make them so rewatchable?

In this “backmatter” episode of Draft Zero, Stu, Chas, and Mel Killingsworth embark on a festive exploration of what makes holiday films so engaging and so re-watchable that they can become part of our rituals. To that end, we breakdown the charm of of Christmas films like KISS KISS BANG BANG, RIDERS OF JUSTICE, and IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE.

We discuss what defines a holiday movie, the power of nostalgia, the importance of ensembles to a sense of family, and how voiceover, snappy dialogue and intricate plots can make something rewatchable. For each of us, we see these films as gateways to introspection and shared experiences during the holidays.

And we are briefly joined by filmmaker (and friend of the podcast) Damien Cassar who talks us through the meaning of nostalgia and it’s relationship with the “pain of homecoming”, and how Christmas/Holiday films provide comfort and a sense of belonging amid ever-changing societal dynamics.

Merry Christmas!

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

Thanks to Chris Walker for his excellent editing this episode.

CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 – Cold Open
• 00:01:00 – What do we mean by Holiday Movies?
• 00:18:52 – Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
• 00:41:16 – Riders of Justice
• 01:03:45 – Sponsorship: Arc Studio Pro
• 01:06:30 – It’s A Wonderful Life
• 01:48:37 – Key Learnings & Wrap Up
• 01:51:03 – On Nostalgia
• 01:54:28 – Many thanks to our Patreons

This episode brought to you by (drum roll) ArcStudio: go to https://www.arcstudiopro.com/draftzero for $30 off a pro subscription!

And how can we forget our awesome Patreons? Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

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How does ending your story on the climax affect audience experience?

While Stu is on show, Mel and Chas sit down to analyse the meaning behind the ending of 2024’s CHALLENGERS, especially when - upon reading the script - the most impactful moment of the ending on screen (for Chas in particular) is not written on the page.

Following on from episodes on filmmakers talking directly to the audience as well as previous exploration into choices and decisions (and hopefully serving as a prelude to our episode on Hero’s Choice), Mel and Chas explore the choices the characters make in that final moment, what happens when filmmakers obscure character motivation, and ultimately how that final moment in CHALLENGERS impacts theme.

This conversation ends up being a deep exploration of what is the experience on the audience (and its impact on the perceived theme) when a story cuts out at the climax without further resolution.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 - Cold Open
• 00:00:24 - The ending of CHALLENGERS
• 00:14:51 - Can one action line change the entire meaning of a film?
• 00:39:41 - Arc Studio Pro
• 00:42:29 - The effect of giving characters decisions
• 00:52:10 - Meta subtext
• 00:53:53 - Choices, feelings and theme
• 01:06:03 - Ending on the climax
• 01:09:27 - Key Learnings
• 01:15:59 - Patreon thanks

RELATED EPISODES

• DZ-113: Tools for filmmakers to talk to the audience
• DZ-84: Choices & Decisions
• DZ-111: Unreliable Narrators and Fight Club

LINKS

• CHALLENGERS screenplay
• How that crazy final tennis ball POV tumbling scene in CHALLENGERS was made
• Challengers ending explained: Screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes on that epic final scene

This episode brought to you by (drum roll) ArcStudio: go to https://www.arcstudiopro.com/draftzero for $30 off a pro subscription!

And how can we forget our awesome Patreons? Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

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What tools help ensure that you as the filmmaker are not misunderstood?

In our final (ha!) episode looking at Talking Directly to the Audience, we turn away from character-and-text based craft tools to look at other ways that filmmakers - whether they be directors, writers, editors, or anyone else - can make the audience feel their 'hand' more.

To that end, Mel, Stu and Chas dive into ADAPTATION, STORIES WE TELL and THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION.

We discuss structure (in particular how to structure more “meta” stories), the influence of TikTok and YouTube in portraying character authenticity, how to set up scenes where your characters can actually debate what your story is really about., and get into the gritty of how “in the story world” the communication from the filmmakers is.

Ultimately, in exploring these three power films through this lens, we discover that these tools give filmmakers more control in conveying their theme. Quelle surprise.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

Thanks to Chris Walker for his excellent editing this episode.

CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 - Cold Open
• 00:00:28 - The Meta of Meta
• 00:11:01 - Adaptation
• 00:36:43 - Sponsor: Arc Studio Pro
• 00:39:40 - Adaption (Part 2)
• 00:42:23 - Stories We Tell
• 01:12:13 - The Forty Year Old Version
• 01:48:14 - Wrap Up & Key Learnings
• 02:01:24 - Many thanks to our Patreons <3

RELATED EPISODES

• DZ-53: Antagonists! 5 - vs Audience
• DZ-109: Talking DIRECTLY to your audience
• DZ-110: Voiceover
• DZ-111: Unreliable Narrators and Fight Club
• DZ-112: Breaking the Fourth Wall

This episode brought to you by (drum roll) ArcStudio: go to https://www.arcstudiopro.com/draftzero for $30 off a pro subscription!

And how can we forget our awesome Patreons? Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

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SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack

DZ-112: Breaking the 4th wall

How is the effect of breaking the 4th wall different to VoiceOver?

As part of our series on how filmmakers can directly communicate to the audience, we finally examine the most blatant tool of them all: when character look directly down the barrel of the camera… and thus look directly at us, the viewer. Chas, Stu and Mel take the craft tools/levers they identified in previous episodes and use them to examine HIGH FIDELITY, ABBOTT ELEMENTARY and - of course - FLEABAG.

By examining how “in-world” the camera is, who is talking, and whom the character is talking to (i.e. who we are in the relationship), we end up discovering how breaking the 4th wall can involve the audience in the emotional present of the character and also grants the character a degree of narrative control (a craft lever that can be dialled in and out).

Separately, in a Backmatter to this episode to be found on our Patreon page, Mel and Chas answer a listener question and take a deep dive into how breaking the 4th wall changes the RELATIONSHIP between you - the viewer - and character.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

Thanks to Chris Walker for his excellent editing this episode.

CHAPTERS

00:00:00 - Cold Open
00:00:17 - What is “barrelling”?
00:13:45 - HIGH FIDELITY
00:39:46 - ABBOTT ELEMENTARY
01:04:09 - FLEABAG
01:40:54 - Key Learnings
01:50:48 - Patreon thanks

RELATED EPISODES

• Backmatter on Breaking the 4th Wall
• DZ-109: Talking DIRECTLY to your audience
• DZ-110: Voiceover
• DZ-111: Unreliable Narrators and Fight Club

This episode brought to you by (drum roll) ArcStudio: go to https://www.arcstudiopro.com/draftzero for $30 off a pro subscription!

And how can we forget our awesome Patreons, especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

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SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack

How does the unreliability of a narrator impact the way a story is told?

In this episode, Stu and Mel (sans Chas!) take a deep dive into FIGHT CLUB and its use of the unreliable narrator. This is a bridging episode between our previous episode on VOICEOVER and our forthcoming episode on TALKING TO CAMERA as Fight Club does both.

We dissect the film’s disconnected sequence-driven structure and how the voiceover ’stitches’ the film together. And then we look at what makes ‘Jack’ an unreliable narrator and how his control over the storytelling impacts us.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

Thanks to Chris Walker for his excellent editing this episode.

CHAPTERS:

• 00:00:01 – Cold Open
• 00:00:20 – Fight Club
• 00:24:57 – Unreliable Narrators
• 00:49:09 – Key Learnings & Wrap Up
• 00:54:07 – Many thanks to our Patrons!

RELATED EPISODES:

• DZ-110: Voiceover
• DZ-109: Talking DIRECTLY to your audience
• DZ-53: Antagonists! 5 – vs Audience

How can we forget our awesome Patreons, especially Lily, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Paulo, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

We are @stuwillis, and @chasffisher on twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

BUY DRAFT ZERO MERCH via TeePublic
SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack